Bart starts testing first Fleet of the Future car

BAY Area Rapid Transit (Bart) is starting dynamic testing of the first of 775 Fleet of the Future metro cars being built by Bombardier under a $US 2.5bn contract following arrival of the first car in San Francisco on April 6.

"This next testing phase is critical to having safe and reliable new train cars," says Bart's president Mr Tom Radulovich. "As these new cars arrive and get approved for passenger service, we can finally start running longer trains. That's something every line on our system needs right now. In fact, the need is so great we've been able to get the manufacturer to increase the monthly delivery rate from 10 cars per month to 16 per month, putting the final car delivery 21 months earlier than the original schedule."

Dynamic testing includes 29 performance measures and covers propulsion, brakes, wheel to axle resistance, noise and electromagnetic compatibility. This will be followed by night-time testing on the network. California Public Utilities Commission requires trains to pass 16 tests before they can be certified for passenger operation.

Bart says it wants to put the first train into service in December provided testing goes well and no major re-engineering is required.

Delivery of the trains will continue 2021, and Bart says it want to find the necessary funding to order another 306 cars to increase the new fleet to 1081 cars.